Nominees for worst hymn

[Wolseley]

As for the Hymn, “Gather Us In,” I used to like it because of the tune. I have heard that it is the same tune as the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” which is a song I always liked. Someone else on this thread mentioned this similarity too.

The words are a problem, though.
beliefnet.com/story/139/story_13932_1.html

Gather Us In
By Marty Haugen

Indeed.

Another line from that same tune is “Give us the courage to enter the song”. What does that mean, exactly?

Then there’s Bob Dufford’s “Sing to the Mountains, Sing to the Sea”, which I steadfastly refuse to have anything to do with, as it reminds me too much of a Wiccan paean to Pangea. I am a Christian, not a pagan. I do not sing to mountains and seas, I sing to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

 

[mercygate]

While we’re on a roll here, has anybody mentioned that ghastly version of the Canticle of the Sun where we are invited to “Come, dance in the forest/Come, play in the fields?”

Aaarrggh. I’m making myself sick here!

 

[AngelRose81]

Lord of the Dance (I like the music, not the lyrics)
City of God (I just don’t like this one for some reason)
Here, I Am Lord (not the Dan Schutte version, the other one)

I’m still getting used to the Catholic hymnal and I guess I’m still partial to the old southern gospel type hymns that I used to sing in my protestant church

 

[Sarabande]

While we’re on a roll here, has anybody mentioned that ghastly version of the Canticle of the Sun where we are invited to “Come, dance in the forest/Come, play in the fields?”

You know what? When I was a kid and we sang this hymn at almost every Sunday mass in my parish, that line always reminded me of nymphs and people dressed in white sheathes with flowery and vine-like wreathes on their heads dancing around - sort of like in Fantasia during the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony. The line also sort of reminded me of a record my dad had when I was growing up. It had the picture of a wizard dangling a prism or some sort of crystal in front of a wide-eyed boy. I think it was a Moody Blues album, but not sure. I would think of magical things like in that picture when I’d sing “Come dance in the forest/Come play in the fields”. Come to think of it, I never really thought of God when we sang that song.

 

[pnewton]

Another line from that same tune is “Give us the courage to enter the song”. What does that mean, exactly?

Perhaps this is a hidden joke about how much guts it takes to actual produce this weirdness.

 

[RosalieM]

I gave some sheet music to our choir director for the Prayer of St. Francis (a version that uses St. Francis’ actual words…“Lord make me an INSTRUMENT of your peace”, etc…) It was near the feast day of St. Francis. He never said anything about it to me.
I saw a flier from my parish’s blessing of the animals on that day. They changed St. Francis’ words. Why? His words aren’t hard to understand. Also, I’ll have to refer to the Biblical text; because I’m forgetting what the real text is for “The Lord is my Shepherd”…etc.). There are different versions of the “lyrics” for that psalm in different pieces of music. What’s wrong with singing sacred quotations the way they were written? People will understand them.

 

[sphilomena]

Can’t believe I missed this on my first read-through. You defaced parish property because you didn’t like a hymn? Wow. I wouldn’t be proud of that if I were you.

Nor is it generally effective to attack the cantor for the musical choices. At my parish and at most parishes from what I’ve been told, we (the cantors) have NO say in the music chosen for Mass. We’re handed a music schedule, told to sing it, and sometimes the music gets completely changed on us right before Mass and we have to wing it. Talk to the music director or the pastor next time you’re unhappy, and it would probably be more effective if you could do it without destroying an expensive hymnal.

It was my own copy, and the cantor was my friend. We laughed about the problem I had with the song. So stop jumping to conclusions. It is this type of mean comment that makes me debate with myself about ever returning to this site. On the other hand, some people have a great sense of humor and are tactful in what they say.

 

[pnewton]

There are different versions of the “lyrics” for that psalm in different pieces of music. What’s wrong with singing sacred quotations the way they were written? People will understand them.

Are you talking about sing the Psalms in Hebrew? That is how they were written. Does anyone even know what language the original Prayer of St. Francis was written in and how the word for instrument translates to English. It might make an interesting question.

 

[Elzee]

I

1. The King of Glory - I always think of that Steve Colbert skit. The last time I had to do this I was working at a parish and the pastor made me play the tambourine to it. I never felt so humiliated and dumb, but I offered it up to God and sent in my resignation a couple months later.

Me too! I laugh out loud just thinking about it. I can’t find it anymore though, they removed it from youtube last Iooked. It’s a classic.

 

[SeekerJen]

It was my own copy, and the cantor was my friend. We laughed about the problem I had with the song. So stop jumping to conclusions. It is this type of mean comment that makes me debate with myself about ever returning to this site. On the other hand, some people have a great sense of humor and are tactful in what they say.

See, this information was not included in your original post. I apologize for jumping to conclusions, but the way it was worded made it seem like you pulled the page out of a hymnal in the pew and accosted the cantor. I was not being “mean”, merely commenting on what was written as it was written.

 

[verdigirl]

It was my own copy, and the cantor was my friend. We laughed about the problem I had with the song. So stop jumping to conclusions. It is this type of mean comment that makes me debate with myself about ever returning to this site. On the other hand, some people have a great sense of humor and are tactful in what they say.

Might have been helpful to say, “I tore the page right out of my own copy.” I would have appreciated the clarification.

But at any rate, I apologize for any meanness you might have construed from my comment.

 

[daeve]

Just so you’ll know, the USCCB came down hard on OCP for including this “hymn” in the Service Music portion of the hymnal. That “Gloria” is a paraphrase of the “Gloria” that we are supposed to sing/say during the Mass. That is not allowable.

Is this the one with the calypso beat? Glo-ree-ah (clap clap) glor-ree-ah (clap clap) In ex-cel-sis Day-o.

I hope that when I tell our choir director it’s not allowable, he’ll stop using it. Not often, thank heavens, but enough that I have to grit my teeth.

 

[LilyM]

Then there’s Bob Dufford’s “Sing to the Mountains, Sing to the Sea”, which I steadfastly refuse to have anything to do with, as it reminds me too much of a Wiccan paean to Pangea. I am a Christian, not a pagan. I do not sing to mountains and seas, I sing to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

St Francis himself called the sun and moon, water and earth his ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ - and being the poet he was I have no doubt he sang to them too :yup: Nothing wrong with glorifying God through His creation.

 

[brotherhrolf]

I have to agree that America the Beautiful would have to be near the top of my list for the worst possible communion hymn, although that was our recessional yesterday. But I think that BHR would be worse, especially where we still call the “Civil War” the War of Northern Aggression."

We sing ATB on Memorial Day, the Fourth and Veterans days when they fall on a Sunday. We sang the BHR once on the Fourth years ago and no one sang. When the apse of your church is shelled by the Federal fleet, and you remember it, there is no going back.

 

[daeve]

I’m sorry. One more… Let There Be Peace On Earth

Bummer! I love this song. It was my mom’s favorite and we sang it as the recessional at her funeral.

 

[So_Catholic]

One Bread, One Body is one I like why is it on the do not like list?

I think its a nice song

I cant stand kumbaya and God bless America.

ones on the tip of my tongue but I cant remember it… oh well

 

[historybrat]

We sing ATB on Memorial Day, the Fourth and Veterans days when they fall on a Sunday. We sang the BHR once on the Fourth years ago and no one sang. When the apse of your church is shelled by the Federal fleet, and you remember it, there is no going back.

See if we sang it on those days, I would not mind. Singing on days in which we remember past battles/wars and our veterans, I’m all for it. In my church we sing it at the weirdest times as a Communion hymn. We sang it at the Christmas mass last year, on Mother’s day, almost every week during Advent last year. I guess I’m old-fashioned but I always thought the hymns should have something to do with the season or the theme/gospel of the mass.

Historybrat

 

[RosalieM]

Are you talking about sing the Psalms in Hebrew? That is how they were written. Does anyone even know what language the original Prayer of St. Francis was written in and how the word for instrument translates to English. It might make an interesting question.

I’m referring to time-honored biblical translations of Psalms into English.

The prayer of St. Francis has long been translated as “Lord make me an instrument of your peace”; not “chanel” of your peace. We can safely deduce he wrote it in Italian. ( “Instrument” in Italian is “strumento”; whereas “channel” is “canale”…not translatable into the new age concept of “channeling”.)

I found this interesting information on St. Francis writings in Wikipedia: (thanks for making me look it up )

"St. Francis is considered the first Italian poet by literary critics. He believed commoners should be able to pray to God in their own language, and he wrote always in dialect of Umbria instead of Latin. His writings are considered to have great literary value, as well as religious."

 

[daeve]

I know I already mentioned this abouit the Here I am, Lord, but this is how the Brady Bunch theme comes in the song for me every time I have to sing it. It takes so much energy for me not to start singing the second part.

"Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord. (pick up tempo) I have heard your calling in the Night. (dah da dah da daah - heard in my head) All of them had hair of gold, like their mother. The youngest one in curls. " I can never get this out of my head. It’s torture. :crying: hahaha!

I’ll never get that out of my head now.

We sing a choral piece called We Give You Thanks. There’s a line in it about “the fragrance of release”. I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean, but to my 12-year-old-boy sense of humour…well, you can just imagine.

Then there’s the part in Lift High the Cross where one phrase ends with the word “Crucified” and the next phrase starts with the word “Bears”. Crucified Bears.

 

[LilyM]

The prayer of St. Francis has long been translated as “Lord make me an instrument of your peace”; not “chanel” of your peace. It must have been written originally in Italian. I’m referring to time-honored translations.

I found this information on his writings in Wikipedia:

"St. Francis is considered the first Italian poet by literary critics. He believed commoners should be able to pray to God in their own language, and he wrote always in dialect of Umbria instead of Latin. His writings are considered to have great literary value, as well as religious."

Well, the literal Italian word St Francis used was ‘strumento’ - you can see the similarity to ‘instrument’ of course, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that ‘instrument’ is the best translation. Mind you I don’t think ‘channel’ is either.

I know there’s one sung version that says ‘Lord make me a means of your peace …’ which is quite a nice, simple way of putting it, for mine.